Hi all,
Guy was just touched off by Patroclus yesterday but Legend Of Zorro was woeful. So not a good start to the month.
Today I have I have another Cheltenham ante post selection for you. Plus, there is a selection from Wincanton and two from Kelso.
Path To Cheltenham
My Cheltenham Hurdle ante post selection Saint Roi takes on Honeysuckle in Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle on Sunday. I’m hoping for a good run to keep his Cheltenham hopes alive.
Today I’m putting up my fourth Cheltenham Festival ante post selection.
National Hunt Chase
The National Hunt Chase used to be run over 4m but is now run over 3m 6f. However, it remains the longest race at the Cheltenham Festival. Due to Covid the professional jockeys replaced the amateurs last year but the latter are back again this year.
The Gordon Elliot trained Run Wild Fred and the Willie Mullins trained Stattler are the joint 7/2 favourites. The former ran out a comfortable winner of the valuable Troytown Handicap Chase before finishing runner-up to stablemate Fury Road in the Grade 1 Neville Hotels Novice Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas.
Stattler a useful staying novice hurdler last season made a winning chase debut in a beginners’ chase at Fairyhouse. Upped in class he had to dig deep to wear down Farouk D’alene on the run-in to win a Grade 3 novices’ chase at Naas (3m 1f) last Sunday. He should be effective over further and is open to more improvement over the larger obstacles.
The front two in the ante post market clearly have clear claims in the National Hunt Chase. However, I’m going with one of the home team here at it’s the Rebecca Curtis Pats Fancy. A useful novice hurdler last season, Pats Fancy has taken his form to another level since going chasing. A winner of his last two starts, both at Chepstow. Both those successes have come at 2m 7 ½ f but he’s bred to stay further. He held off useful handicap chaser Gericault Roque, who has boosted the form since, for the first of those wins and then comfortably beat recent Cheltenham winner Imperial Alcazar by 11 lengths at the Welsh Grand National meeting. He finished his race off strongly that day which suggests he will relish the 3m 6f of the National Hunt Chase.
The 7-year-old also has entry in the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase but trainer Rebecca Curtis has said this will be his Cheltenham target. He was due to run at Exeter yesterday but was a non-runner due to pulling a shoe off.
Curtis doesn’t have may runners at the Cheltenham Festival but since 2012 she’s trained 5 winners from 46 runners +38.38. One of those five winners was Teaforthree who won the race in 2012.
Selection: Pats Fancy – 1pt each way – 20/1 @ Bet365 & Paddy Power.
Thursday Racing
Wincanton
4:10 – I’m going to forgive Didero Vallis his last run at Ascot. He’s no 0-4 there and just doesn’t seem to like that track. Prior to that run he had finished a useful 3-length 2nd of 7 at Ludlow. Not the easiest to catch right. Although he did win a Catterick 12 months ago, off 3lb lower, and ran even better when beaten a neck by Kitty’s Light at Kelso a month later. Slight concern about the ground, fine on good to soft. However, what really stands out is the 9-year-old’s record in field sizes eight or less – 4 wins from 7 starts +21.62 7 placed (all his career wins). Jockey Charlie Deutsch also has an excellent record in small field handicap chases with 25 wins from 67 rides 37% +30.44 in the last 12 months.
1pt win – Didero Vallis – 3/1 @ Coral & Ladbrokes
Kelso
Arguably the best two races bookend the Kelso’s six race card.
1:50 – Kaizer has dropped down to a good mark and he ran well when 1 ¼ length 2nd of 15 at Newcastle last time. Back in 6th that day and 5 ¾ lengths behind was Dequall. A C&D winner here last April. Today’s extra 2 ½ f will suit the 6-year-old and he gets 4lb from Kaizer here with Peter Kavanagh taking off a further 7lb.
1pt win – Dequall – 4/1 @ Coral & Ladbrokes
4:20 – The most valuable jumps race today concludes the Kelso card. The early bird favourite is the lightly raced Famous Bridge. The 6-year-old won a good ground novice hurdle at Ayr back in November and then ran just as well when a 1 ¾ length 2nd of 12, under a 7lb penalty, here over 2m 6 ½ f. The 1 ½ f drop back in distance shouldn’t be an inconvenience nor should the drying ground. Handicap hurdle debut off what looks a competitive mark.
There doesn’t look to be much in the way of pace in the race which could inconvenience Voodoo Doll. A winner on good to firm at Taunton three starts back, off 2lb lower. The 9-year-old bounced back to form with a 6 ¼ length 5th of 11 to Green Book at Ludlow last time. Set too much to do that day but was running on well at the finish. The first-time blinkers replace the visor and provided the waiting tactics are not over done he can go well on drying ground.
Saint D’oroux is an interesting Irish raider from the Stuart Crawford yard. The 6-year-old is only 1-13 over hurdles but did finish a 4-length 3rd of 22 in the Boodles Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival, off 2lb lower. Best efforts last season came when a ¾ length 2nd of 13 at Thurles and a 6 ¼ length 3rd of 22 in a valuable handicap at the Dublin Racing Festival. Ended last season with a couple of poor efforts. Stamina for 2m 4f to prove but if ready to roll on his first start for 278-days must be respected on his best form.
Verdict: Famous Bridge could be nicely treated for his handicap debut. If he is then he will be tough to beat. Voodoo Doll can’t afford to get as far back as he did last time but can go close if the change in headgear sharpens him up. Saint D’oroux might prefer softer ground but wouldn’t be far away if reproducing anything like his best.
0.5pts win – Voodoo Doll – 9/1 @ Bet365
0.5pts win – Saint D’oroux – 16/1 @ Coral & Ladbrokes
Cheers
John